This invention relates to a Clute-cut glove construction that conforms to the natural curved configuration of a human hand that is in a relaxed state. In particular, in a relaxed state, the fingers of the glove curve inward towards the palm so that in use the glove can be moved to a clasping position without crumpling, creasing, or folding of the finger and palm sections of the glove.
Various methods of manufacturing gloves are known in the art. In one method gloves are manufactured in a flat form with the top and bottom sections of the glove being cut from a flat design and then subsequently being sewn together. A characteristic feature of gloves manufactured using this method is that the shape of the glove is not fashioned to the normal shape of the hand which, in a relaxed state, has fingers that are bent to some degree at an angle to the palm. The use of these gloves in the past have shown their shape to be acceptable where the gloves are made of light, flexible and more or less stretchable material that gradually adjusts to the shape of the hand in the course of wear. However, where the glove is made of stiff material, such as certain inexpensive grades of leather and certain course fabrics, or where the glove is made of rubberized material, the glove never forms itself to the shape of the hand even after considerable wear. As a result, these gloves are always difficult to bend, constrain the movement of the hand, are uncomfortable to wear, and are thus unsuitable for normal use.
In an attempt to improve upon these drawbacks, certain constructions have been devised which give the gloves a contour that is similar to the natural contour of the hand in a relaxed state. High fashion gloves, for example, use separate fourchette portions between the front and back parts of the fingers that are curved to have the shape of curved fingers that are in a relaxed state. These gloves require, however, a high degree of operator skill to sew the separate fourchettes together, and thus are expensive to manufacture. In another style, single piece rubber gloves are molded using well known molding procedures. These procedures are, however, not suitable for making cloth or leather gloves.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,357, which is incorporated herein by reference, has overcome to a large extent these limitations in a Gunn-cut glove construction. A Gunn-cut glove construction typically comprises three pieces of material that are stitched together to form the glove: a palm piece that includes the first and fourth finger portions of the glove, a middle piece that includes the second and third portions of the finger, and a back piece. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,357, the longitudinal distance of the front portion of the fingers of the glove is cut shorter than the longitudinal distance of the associated back portion. During the sewing operation, the front portion of each finger is stretched longitudinally to align with the back portion of that finger. The front and back portions are then sewn together. In order to accomplish this stretching on a commercial-scale, the back portion of the finger is fed to the stitching needle at a faster rate of speed than its associated front portion. When the glove is allowed to relax from the stretching operation, the shape of the fingers and thumb portions of the glove is identical to the shape of the curved fingers and the thumb of a hand that is in a relaxed state.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,357, the palm portion which extends between the joint line of the fingers and the joint line of the thumb joint is also shorter than the back portion which extends between the same joint lines. These front and back portions are aligned during stitching in a manner that is similar to the one used in the stitching of the finger portions. As a result, the palm portion of the glove also has a curved shape which conforms to the shape of the palm of a hand that is in a relaxed state.
It is the curvature of the finger, thumb, and palm portions of the glove when the glove is in a relaxed state that permits the glove to be moved to a clasping position without crumpling, creasing, or folding at those portions. However, to further prevent crumpling, creasing, and folding at these portions, the base edge of the front finger portions of the second and third fingers of the middle piece (i.e., the edge that adjoins the palm piece) is cut to have a concave edge which is sewn to a complementary concave edge in the palm piece. Additionally, after the portions of the glove have been sewn together, the glove may be placed over a heating element which has the shape of a hand that is in a relaxed state. By heating the gloves over the mold, the curvature of the glove is further conformed to the shape of a hand that is in a relaxed state.
Although U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,357 greatly improves the clasping characteristics of a Gunn-cut construction glove it does not address certain problems that other glove constructions, such as a Clute-cut glove construction, create by their unique cuts when the glove is in use.
It is an object of this invention to address these problems in the Clute-cut glove construction with a Clute-cut glove construction which does not form creases and folds in the palm portion of the glove or otherwise constrains the movement of the hand when the hand is in use. Unlike Clute-cut glove constructions in the prior art, this invention minimizes restricted circulation of blood in the hands and wear on the knuckles, the ligaments, and the muscles that Clute-cut glove constructions usually create on the hand when the hand is in use. As a result, this invention provides a clute-type glove which is more fitted to the natural motions of the hands than any prior art Clute-cut glove construction.